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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238490">How A Tiger Got His Stripes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araloth/pseuds/Araloth'>Araloth</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, Fire Family, Fun, Funny, Gen, Humor, M/M, Pet Names, Teasing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:01:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238490</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araloth/pseuds/Araloth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The rest of the 126 finds out about Carlos's pet name for TK and can't resist teasing him a little.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Judd Ryder &amp; TK Strand, Marjan Marwani &amp; TK Strand, Mateo Chavez &amp; TK Strand, Paul Strickland &amp; TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>649</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How A Tiger Got His Stripes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            It had happened just by chance. Carlos was dropping TK off at work after they’d gone out for lunch together, and the rest of the team just happened to be in earshot at the time. In hindsight, TK realized they’d probably planned it that way, but at the time he’d been too wrapped up in saying goodbye to Carlos to pay it much mind.</p><p>            TK hugged Carlos and waved a little as he stepped into the firehouse. “I’ll see you later.”</p><p>            Carlos grinned. “See you later Tiger.”</p><p>            Judd and Mateo wolf-whistled. Marjan grinned, and Paul looked all too happy to enjoy this little turn about. TK smiled at his teammates teasing. Right now, nothing could spoil his good mood.</p><p>            “So…” Judd smiled wider and reached out to ruffle TK’s hair. “Tiger huh?”</p><p>            TK ducked out from under him and grinned. “You want to make something of it Cowboy Judd?”</p><p>            “Oh no.” Judd threw up his hands in mock defense. “I think a tiger might be too dangerous for even me to rodeo.”</p><p>            That got a fresh round of laughter from the team. TK shook his head, still all smiles. “I hate you all.”</p><p>            "No, you don't. Hah!" Judd pulled TK into a bear, and TK had to struggle to pull himself free.</p><p>            TK was spared any further embarrassment by a timely call. Everyone scrambled to get ready to roll out, Carlos's pet name for TK was momentarily forgotten. Luckily it didn’t prove to be anything too serious. Two cars had crashed, and while one of the drivers was pinned and need to be cut out of the car neither of them had been badly injured. Michelle and her team got both of them patched up and sent them onto the hospital just as a precaution rather than a necessity. It was the best kind of call in Judd's mind. They got to do some good and help people but nobody came away from it any worse for the wear.</p><p>            After that though, things seemed to ramp up to their usual level of crazy. The day became a blur of call after call. When they finally got back to the firehouse for that night most of the crew wanted to just go straight to bed and hope for a quiet night. Buttercup climbed up into his usual spot on TK’s bed, and then Mateo hit the lights. Judd tried to sleep. Based on the day they’d all had he really should be tired. He closed his eyes but sleep just wouldn’t come. Resigned, Judd reached over for his phone. If he wasn’t going to get any sleep he might as well head out and do something more fun than staring at his own eyelids. Judd climbed out of bed as quietly as he could, using the light on his phone to find his way. The rest of the team seemed to be asleep. Judd could hear little snores coming from TK’s bed but he wasn’t sure if it was the kid or the dog. Judd smiled, remembering the look on TK’s face when they teased him about Carlos’s little pet name for him earlier. Judd knew exactly what he was going to do now…</p><p>            Judd booted up his computer and pulled up Amazon. He typed in a quick search and started scrolling through the results that popped up.</p><p>            “What are you doing?”</p><p>            Judd practically jumped out of his seat. He pulled his laptop’s screen down to try and hide. “Nothin’…” Mateo and Marjan were both blearily making their way over to the table. Judd tried to smile innocently. “What are you two doing up?”</p><p>            “Checking on you.” Marjan huffed. “We heard you get up…”</p><p>            Mateo slid down into the chair next to Judd. “If you’re not doing anything why are you hiding your computer?”</p><p>            "I'm not," Judd grumbled. "I just wasn't sure who was coming in at first?"</p><p>            “So what are you doing then?” Marjan asked.</p><p>            Judd lifted the screen back up and turned the computer so Marjan and Mateo could both see. "What do ya think?"</p><p>            “Oh man-“ Majan laughed. “That’s perfect.”</p><p>            Mateo frowned. “I don’t get it.”</p><p>            "For TK," Judd said pointing at the screen. "Get it?"</p><p>            A big grin lit up Mateo’s face. “Marjan’s right it is perfect. Are you gonna ship it here?”</p><p>            “Course!” Judd laughed. “I’m not gonna miss the look on his face when he opens it.”</p><p>            Marjan pointed next to the image Judd had pulled up. “Make sure you get the right size.”</p><p>            “I know what I'm doing," Judd said. But he did adjust the sizing all the same.</p><p>            “This is gonna be too funny.” Mateo giggled.</p><p>            Judd completed the order and smiled. Now they’d just have to wait.</p><p>            Three days later TK was bringing in the mail for the firehouse when he spotted a large box with an easily recognizable logo on the side. TK frowned. They all sometimes got things shipped to the firehouse, but nobody had told TK to keep an eye out for a package. TK scooped it up and carried it in with the rest of the mail.</p><p>            “Hey guys did anybody order-“ TK frowned as he climbed to the top of the steps. The box had his name on it.</p><p>            “What’cha got there TK?” Judd asked, a big grin on his face. Mateo and Marjan were laughing a little too.</p><p>            TK paused, his eyes flicking between the three of them. “I don’t know…”</p><p>            "Well, you got to open it," Judd said.</p><p>            “Here.” Marjan passed TK a pair of scissors to cut the packing tape off it.</p><p>            "You all seem way too prepared for this," TK said. TK knew the other members of the 126 well enough by now to know when they were up to something, and Judd and the others definitely were. Still, TK opened the box, though he was careful with it. Who knew what kind of craziness might be inside… TK saw a flash of orange. A sleeve slipped out of the box and TK frowned. It looked like just a normal hoodie. A very soft hoodie in fact. TK ran his hand along the sleeve approvingly. He did love wearing hoodies. But why-</p><p>            TK lifted the hoodie out of the box and the reason for his teammates' amusement became clear. It was a tiger hoodie, complete with stripes on the main body and two little fluffy wars stitched onto the hood. TK shook his head laughing. “You guys are idiots.”</p><p>            "Hey blame light night online shopping during a shift," Marjan said. And TK saw now that she had been slyly filming the whole thing.</p><p>            “What is that for?” TK asked pointing to her phone.</p><p>            “To send to Carlos of course.” Marjan smiled wider and lifted her phone up higher. “Now put it on so he can…”</p><p>            TK sighed. He rolled his eyes a little, but he still pulled the hoodie he'd been wearing off over his head and set it down on the back of a chair. TK hoisted the new tiger hoodie up over his head and smirked. "Happy now?"</p><p>            "Put the hood up," Marjan demanded, still grinning.</p><p>            TK pulled the hood over his head and spread his arms wide. “How do I look?”</p><p>            “Like a dork but that’s okay.” Judd chuckled. “We already knew that.”</p><p>            TK stepped forward to smack him, which only made Judd laugh harder.</p><p>            “Oh no, I’ve offended the king of the jungle.” Judd laughed harder as TK chased him around the table.</p><p>            “I thought that was lions?” Mateo looked to Marjan curiously.</p><p>            "So not the point right now probie." Marjan grinned as she kept recording Judd and TK. Buttercup came running after them to see what all the fuss was about and started helping TK corner Judd.</p><p>            TK actually kept the hoodie. It was stupidly soft and comfortable. But most of all Carlos has burst out laughing when Marjan finally showed him the video and declared how cute TK looked in it. And how could TK possibly argue with that?</p><p> </p>
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